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| Kudankulam protests: Fishermen lay |
| Kudankulam protests: Fishermen lay siege to Tuticorin port
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| INDIA
, 22-September-2012
5:41:58 AM |
| Protests against the Kudankulam nuclear plant continue unabated as thousands of fishermen today laid siege to the port at Tuticorin, demanding the closure of the controversial plant.
Nearly thousand fishing boats have blocked entry to the Tuticorin harbour, which is situated around 60 miles away from the nuclear power plant. The loading of nuclear fuel, which is on at one of the reactors at the Kudankulam plant, has not in the least dented the determination of the protesters, all fishermen hailing from the districts of Tuticorin, Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli - where the plant is located. "Fishermen in Kudankulam and surrounding districts are protesting over the last 400 days, but the government is not listening and we will have to resort to these kind of protests," said a fisherman.
These fishermen are worried that the plant, once commissioned, will destroy their livelihood. Subash Fernando, Spokesperson of the Agitation Committee, says, "Once the plant is commissioned, the radiation from it would disqualify our catch for export to the European market, and even if nuclear fuel is loaded, it's not too late to stop it".
Two expert committees appointed by the government have found the plant to be safe, dubbing public fears unfounded. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who initially supported the cause of the movement, later did a U-turn, citing that the project could bring relief to the state which is reeling under a severe power shortage.
Around a lakh and half people, who live in the vicinity, are opposed to the plant. "If India believes in democracy, the government should listen to the people. If Japan could have a Fukushima disaster, imagine what could happen in India which was also hit by a tsunami not long ago," said a villager.
Presently, the Supreme Court is hearing a petition that challenges the go-ahead given to the nuclear plant.
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